My aunt Betty died last week after a long struggle with breast cancer. I very much regret not starting a thread for her earlier but now whats done is done. I ask that you pray for God to be with her husband and her sisters, including my mom who are both very broken up right now. Also pray for Betty's well being in Heaven.
Another request is that you pray my friend, who a couple days ago told me that he is gay. In addition, he said he has had suicidal thoughts recently because he feels like he is an abomination. I feel intensely bad for him and it greatly disturbs me that the Bible could drive someone to feel as worthless as he does. He is seeing a psychologist soon and I've given him loads of encouragement already but he needs God's help.
Two Prayer Requests
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Seraph
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Two Prayer Requests
I am committed to belief in God, as the most morally demanding, psychologically enriching, intellectually satisfying and imaginatively fruitful hypothesis about the ultimate nature of reality known to me - Keith Ward
Re: Two Prayer Requests
Prayers going up. 
Let us proclaim the mystery of our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
Lord I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof, but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.
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Canuckster1127
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Re: Two Prayer Requests
The Bible and God do not drive people to feel worthless. The Bible tells them that they are loved by God and worth Jesus coming to die for them. Jesus tells them He loves them and is willing to serve as the second Adam to reconcile them to God.
Sadly, Christians can and do confuse things when they assume God is more concerned first and foremost for their behavior and that people need to clean themselves up before God will love them. Or they paint God as a distant, wrathful deity who's just waiting to jump on them when they are anything less than perfect.
I'll pray for your friend. I hope he can see the love of Jesus through you.
Sorry too for your loss. I'll pray as you ask.
Sadly, Christians can and do confuse things when they assume God is more concerned first and foremost for their behavior and that people need to clean themselves up before God will love them. Or they paint God as a distant, wrathful deity who's just waiting to jump on them when they are anything less than perfect.
I'll pray for your friend. I hope he can see the love of Jesus through you.
Sorry too for your loss. I'll pray as you ask.
Dogmatism is the comfortable intellectual framework of self-righteousness. Self-righteousness is more decadent than the worst sexual sin. ~ Dan Allender
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jlay
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Re: Two Prayer Requests
Seraph, prayers for your family.
Regarding your friend. That is a tough spot, but perhaps God has placed you in the path of this friend.
-Is he a believer?
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.."
Have you ever looked up what the word wretch means?
That depends. I think that is a far too general statement. Ultimately the Bible conveys worth in the human life. We are created to worship (worthscipe). We are created for God's glory. We all agree there. Why was man kicked out of the garden? He was no longer worthy. This friend of Seraph's life has worth. But if one is knowingly engaged in sinful rebellion, then it isn't any wonder they would feel worthless. Because they are going against what they were created for. the only real question here is, is the source of His guilt (worthless) a genuine contrition from what the bible actuall teaches, or does he have some other confused ideas about the matter?
Sin, which we all have, in the light of God and in the light of the truth of the scriptures can, does, and should expose the worthless nature of sin, and a life without Christ. God says your life has worth. If we reject God's claim on our life, then what is the result? Worthlessness. We are telling God that He is wrong, by defiling what he has said was created for worship. So, in contrast to what you say, it greatly disturbs me that people can read the bible and not feel worthless. I don't mean that to say that the entire purpose of the bible is to beat us down. It most certainly isn't. It is to help us discover our true worth. But there is no question that reading the bible helps us to view our own life in light of God's holy nature. (Isaiah 6:5, Re. 1:17)
-Do you know what kind of psychologists? Depending on the kind of counseling this can actually be one of the worst possible things. Much of the modern methods are not designed to help people overcome strongholds, but to help people find comfort in them. I have no doubt that hell will be full of well adjusted people. I don't say that as any accusation of your friend, but more of an indictment of some of the counseling methods employed today.
Regarding your friend. That is a tough spot, but perhaps God has placed you in the path of this friend.
-Is he a believer?
Isn't that what drives sinners to the cross?it greatly disturbs me that the Bible could drive someone to feel as worthless as he does.
"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.."
Have you ever looked up what the word wretch means?
The Bible and God do not drive people to feel worthless.
That depends. I think that is a far too general statement. Ultimately the Bible conveys worth in the human life. We are created to worship (worthscipe). We are created for God's glory. We all agree there. Why was man kicked out of the garden? He was no longer worthy. This friend of Seraph's life has worth. But if one is knowingly engaged in sinful rebellion, then it isn't any wonder they would feel worthless. Because they are going against what they were created for. the only real question here is, is the source of His guilt (worthless) a genuine contrition from what the bible actuall teaches, or does he have some other confused ideas about the matter?
Sin, which we all have, in the light of God and in the light of the truth of the scriptures can, does, and should expose the worthless nature of sin, and a life without Christ. God says your life has worth. If we reject God's claim on our life, then what is the result? Worthlessness. We are telling God that He is wrong, by defiling what he has said was created for worship. So, in contrast to what you say, it greatly disturbs me that people can read the bible and not feel worthless. I don't mean that to say that the entire purpose of the bible is to beat us down. It most certainly isn't. It is to help us discover our true worth. But there is no question that reading the bible helps us to view our own life in light of God's holy nature. (Isaiah 6:5, Re. 1:17)
-Do you know what kind of psychologists? Depending on the kind of counseling this can actually be one of the worst possible things. Much of the modern methods are not designed to help people overcome strongholds, but to help people find comfort in them. I have no doubt that hell will be full of well adjusted people. I don't say that as any accusation of your friend, but more of an indictment of some of the counseling methods employed today.
-“The Bible treated allegorically becomes putty in the hands of the exegete.” John Walvoord
"I'm not saying scientists don't overstate their results. They do. And it's understandable, too...If you spend years working toward a certain goal and make no progress, of course you are going to spin your results in a positive light." Ivellious
"I'm not saying scientists don't overstate their results. They do. And it's understandable, too...If you spend years working toward a certain goal and make no progress, of course you are going to spin your results in a positive light." Ivellious
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Seraph
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Re: Two Prayer Requests
Thanks for the responses guys. I really appreciate them.
He's a mormon actually, which I would imagine makes the backlash of being gay even worse in his church. Whether he is a believer or not I'm not entirely sure, but due to certain conversations we've had about God and Jesus, I'm inclined to think so though I don't know for sure.
His source of angst and sadness about his homosexuality comes from the Bible though. I know God doesn't want people to feel the way my friend does and didn't wish for it when He inspired the authors who wrote Leviticus and Romans and that the purpose is so that they can see their own sin, but it's just disturbing to me. I can't understand why the Bible condemns homosexuality. It seems that homosexuals would change if they could, but they just can't and are often nearly driven insane in their attempts to suppress their urges. Because of this, I feel like it's oversimplifying the matter to say that they are just acting with a rebellious heart towards God. With adulters and pornographers I would say this is definatly the case, but with something that is so entwined with ones identity like sexual orientation, I think it runs a lot deeper. Of course I'm only talking about the feelings and not the actions that result, though it seems cruel to expect them to remain completely chaste for the rest of their life.
He said his parents are sending him to a psychologist that is specially trained to "cure" homosexuals, or something along those lines. I have a bad feeling about it.
He's a mormon actually, which I would imagine makes the backlash of being gay even worse in his church. Whether he is a believer or not I'm not entirely sure, but due to certain conversations we've had about God and Jesus, I'm inclined to think so though I don't know for sure.
His source of angst and sadness about his homosexuality comes from the Bible though. I know God doesn't want people to feel the way my friend does and didn't wish for it when He inspired the authors who wrote Leviticus and Romans and that the purpose is so that they can see their own sin, but it's just disturbing to me. I can't understand why the Bible condemns homosexuality. It seems that homosexuals would change if they could, but they just can't and are often nearly driven insane in their attempts to suppress their urges. Because of this, I feel like it's oversimplifying the matter to say that they are just acting with a rebellious heart towards God. With adulters and pornographers I would say this is definatly the case, but with something that is so entwined with ones identity like sexual orientation, I think it runs a lot deeper. Of course I'm only talking about the feelings and not the actions that result, though it seems cruel to expect them to remain completely chaste for the rest of their life.
He said his parents are sending him to a psychologist that is specially trained to "cure" homosexuals, or something along those lines. I have a bad feeling about it.
I am committed to belief in God, as the most morally demanding, psychologically enriching, intellectually satisfying and imaginatively fruitful hypothesis about the ultimate nature of reality known to me - Keith Ward